How to Paint Cats – Book in the Works! by J Dunster

After an absence…

Something that threw me for a serious loop recently was that the aunt whose cat Daisy was the initial inspiration for this book…well, my aunt died. The recent scorching heatwave in Southern California was the cause. Many seniors die each year during heat waves. She was educated about the risks and evidently didn’t heed them. How tragic and avoidable and such a terrible shock to all of us who loved her.

She was a wonderful auntie, such a lovely “cat lady” and always so supportive of my artwork through the years. She and my other auntie bought me my first easel as a Christmas gift, which I still have. She loved my first Cat Heads book and was excited about this upcoming book. It’s a bitter pill to swallow, to know that she’ll never see it. I’ll always miss you, Auntie.

The loss of Auntie took the wind out of my sails. But I can’t just abandon this book! So, I’m continuing to work on the painting of Daisy and will put it in the book. The book will, of course, be dedicated to Auntie. (The cat Daisy will get a good home, by the way. She’s being well taken care of.)

Now, to explain this painting. Lately, I’ve been dabbling more with acrylic paints. Maybe I’m getting into the acrylics ‘groove’ a little more. Here’s a recent effort:

Intense Green Eyes – 6×6″ acrylic on canvas board

I like the way this one turned out and will be doing more! While I love oils and always will (they are my first love) there’s a lot that acrylics have going for them. Easy to clean and quick to dry! I often paint in a looser style (with more visible brushstrokes, more bold brushwork) when I use acrylics.